## Political Slugfest Erupts Following Arrests in Rameshwaram Cafe Blast Case
The arrest of two key suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case from West Bengal's East Midnapore district has ignited a political firestorm between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, addressing an election rally in Dinhata, Cooch Behar, on April 12, countered BJP's accusations of Bengal becoming a "safe haven for terrorists" under her leadership. "The men (who were arrested) are not residents of Bengal... they were hiding out here. They were arrested in two hours," Banerjee stated, as quoted by NDTV. "The BJP cannot stand it if there is peace in Bengal."
Banerjee further questioned the safety of other states governed by the BJP, asking the crowd, "Is Uttar Pradesh safe? Is Rajasthan safe? Is Bihar safe?"
The arrested individuals, Mussavir Hussain Shazeb and Abdul Matheen Taha, are believed to be key conspirators in the blast. According to NDTV, Taha allegedly handled the logistics while Shazeb planted the bomb. They were traced to Kanthi, a small city in the Purba Medinipur district, which is a stronghold of BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, a former close aide of Banerjee.
The political sparring began after BJP's Amit Malviya posted on X (formerly Twitter) about Shazeb and Taha's arrests. His post was subsequently fact-checked by the Bengal police.
In a post on X, the West Bengal Police clarified, "Contrary to Amit Malviya's claims," the two accused were apprehended after a joint operation involving the state police and central intelligence agencies. The proactive role of West Bengal Police... has been officially acknowledged by the central agencies. West Bengal has NEVER been a safe haven for terrorists and the state police will continue to remain ever-vigilant."
The Rameshwaram Cafe blast injured 10 people, and the outlet reopened eight days after the incident.